Local runners will compete to support free legal services to the poor at the Family Law Cares Pro Bono 5K Sunday, November 10 at Fair Park in Dallas.
The purpose of the race is to raise money and awareness of the need to organize and coordinate pro bono services for indigent Texas. Lawyers and non-lawyers, their families and friends are all invited to participate.
Register for the event at www.familylawcares.com/fun-run/. The registration fee prior to race day is $20. On-site registration is $25 and begins at 7:30 a.m. that morning. The fee for runners up to 14 years of age is $15. Each entrant receives a fun run tee shirt. The race begins at 8:30 a.m.
The festive atmosphere will include Dunk-A-Lawyer, where participants pay to knock a local attorney into the water. Law firm members will also compete for the coveted Golden Gavel, awarded to the firm with the three fastest cumulative times. Competing teams of non-lawyers will vie to beat the times of the lawyer runners.
“Improving the delivery of pro bono legal services is the business of all Texans,” says Sherri Evans, chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar, which hosts the race. “Family Law Cares was created to organize and coordinate these efforts.”
In 2011, more than 58,000 Texas families qualified for free legal services, but only 20% of those families were served due to problems connecting clients and attorneys.
More than half of the outstanding cases are divorce or other family law matters. Family Law Cares is meant to attract veteran attorneys, young lawyers and law students to volunteer to take legal cases. Representatives of a legal service provider will be present at the race to assign cases to lawyers who want to volunteer for pro bono.
Sponsors of the race represent many different practice areas and include the Law Firm of Cindi Barela Graham; Connatser Family Law; David, Goodman & Madole; Diana S. Friedman, PC; Farrow-Gillespie & Heath, LLP; Fuller Mediations; Geary, Porter & Donovan; Godwin Lewis; GoransonBain; Grau Law Group, PLLC; Higdon, Hardy & Zuflacht, LLP; Johnston-Tobey, PC; Kinser & Bates, LLP; KoonsFuller; McCurley, Orsinger, McCurley, Nelson & Downing, LLP; Pro Solutions Group; Raggio & Raggio; Wendy Ward Roberts & Associates; WhitleyPenn; and Your Critter’s Best Friend.
For more information on the run and walk, go to www.familylawcares.com and click on the fun run navigation button or the center graphic.